Veterans recognized with Honor Flight

John Kennett jkennett@mdn.net

Published
7:25 am EDT, Monday, May 28, 2018

Patrick Tracy, right, and Jack Whitehouse, left, talk about their experience last week on the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight to Washington D.C. while enjoying coffee at Lanny's Restaurant on Thursday morning. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) less

Patrick Tracy, right, and Jack Whitehouse, left, talk about their experience last week on the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight to Washington D.C. while enjoying coffee at Lanny's Restaurant on Thursday morning. (Katy ... more

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Patrick Tracy, right, and Jack Whitehouse, left, talk about their experience last week on the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight to Washington D.C. while enjoying coffee at Lanny's Restaurant on Thursday morning. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) less

Patrick Tracy, right, and Jack Whitehouse, left, talk about their experience last week on the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight to Washington D.C. while enjoying coffee at Lanny's Restaurant on Thursday morning. (Katy ... more

Veterans recognized with Honor Flight

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When four veterans gather for coffee, the range of emotions runs the gamut from humor to tears to solemn introspection. But, one thing all four appreciated was summed up in the saying, “It’s never too late to thank a veteran.”

“When I came home from the service 60 odd years ago, I got the impression that nobody cared,” said Pomranky, a U.S. Army veteran. “This trip restored my faith in humanity. I couldn’t believe the youngsters that were standing out there shaking hands with guys like us. It is something that will stick with me the rest of my life.”

Proudly wearing their Korean War caps, the four gathered Thursday at Lanny’s Restaurant in Sanford to reminisce about their recent excursion.

The Honor Flight began Monday in Big Rapids. The four stayed overnight, got up early Tuesday morning, bussed to Gerald R. Ford Airport in Grand Rapids and flew to Washington, D.C.

After touring the Korean War, World War II, and Vietnam War memorials, they flew back to Grand Rapids on Tuesday evening.

“If there was a veteran who didn’t have tears in his eyes, he wasn’t human. It reached home,” said Tracy, a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995, and commemorates the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the conflict, which lasted from June 25, 1950, through July 27, 1953.

Even though the four came from three different branches of the military, there was a oneness among the group.

Whitehouse summed it up best when he stated, “There are no strangers in the military. Only friends you haven’t met.”

But, to a man, the group's memories were very evident. Whitehouse still hasn’t forgotten the day he was wounded, Memorial Day 1951.

“The first time I was going to my unit, I’m walking up this road and we got into a mortar attack and I was wounded. I said to myself, ‘holy ----,’ somebody could get killed here. That is called reality,” said Whitehouse, who received a Purple Heart for being wounded in action.

Also receiving a Purple Heart was the fourth member, Dick Stevens, a U.S. Army veteran.

“I was a paratrooper and the last jump we made was 17 miles behind the enemy lines,” Stevens said. “Then we got up to about three miles, and that is when I was wounded. It took them three days to get me out of there.”

The thanks continued throughout the day for the 95 veterans and 95 guardians/aides that went on the charter flight.

“When we got to Washington, D.C., I thought we were in a presidential motorcade, we didn’t stop for anything,” Tracy said.

Upon arrival back in Grand Rapids, about 200 well-wishers formed a lane to welcome the veterans back.

“When we got off the airplane, they kept the Vietnam veterans on the plane,” Tracy said. “The guys from Vietnam, when they came home, they had to change into civilian clothes because nobody like them. When the Vietnam War vets got off the plane, everybody was standing there and applauded them because we welcomed them home.”

Stevens candidly summed up the realities of war.

“To me, I think the ones that are the heroes are the ones that are still there. I went over with some guys that didn’t come back. You don’t even want to think about that.”